After seeing the thread about changing Canada's national anthem, I should create a U.S one. This proposal will be quite accurate to the U.S. Original: O say can you see by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Proposal: O say can you see how our poor eats all the scraps, What so proudly we hailed fencing our allies at the South, Whose broad stripes and bright stars whom we have to pledge to, Or people will think that, we committed treason, And the government's red glare, the drones bursting in air, Gave proof that the war on terror is there; O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O'er the land of the unfree and the home of the oppressed?
Well that's nice and all but I hardly think people are oppressed in America. If they are it's must be nothing compared to say... Russia.
Relatively, not much, but definitely a lot more than any morals should allow. More to the point, most people oppressed by America aren't in America.
I think the point of a national anthem is to show the greatness possible from a country to stir up citizens' love and motivation to help it, but this version would be good in protests. :S The problem runs deeper than the government though. It's that corporations have wormed their way in and took over while we were all buying their stuff.
Claiming that Americans are oppressed or within some center of despair reminds me of the phrase "First World Problems". Likewise with the UK, Australia, Canada, etc. I don't mean to speak on the ease of life entirely of citizens of the first world, because life in general isn't often easy; however, the ideal that we are truly going through it never fails to make me giggle. It reminds me of an Alexander Pope poem that is often taught in intro-literature or poetry courses, which is centered around these wealth families on a manor who erupt into terror and hysteria when a single lock of hair from noble woman is cut without her consent. There are screams of terror, battle scenes, and complete choas over a single lock of hair because this event was the biggest tragedy to intrude on the privilege lives of those on the manor. We are clearly not crying over locks of hair, but the theme of that poem is still extremely applicable to modern society. To call anything that the first world is currently working through suffering or oppression is something that deserves it's own individual satire. Fortunately, we live within these comfortable manors and can easily avoid looking out our windows into the outside world and recognizing the true suffering outside our walls. It's just so convenient! I couldn't agree more.
I actually put the word oppressed because it was the first word that came into my mind. I was deciding whether to put "old" or "oppressed."
"Oh beautiful for smoggy skies Insecticided grain The strip mined mountains majesty Above the asphalt plain! America! America! Man sheds his waste on thee. And hides the pines with billboard signs From sea to oily sea." -George Carlin
